Exploring Genres

Genre is the word used to describe categories or types of films. There are also different genres of books and plays. Each genre has a set of conventions (or rules) that dictates character roles, settings, costumes and props and stories.

Here is a list of popular film genres and some of the conventions that are associated with them:

Scenarios Settings Characters

Action or Battles, escapes, natural Deserts, jungles, exotic Spies, superheroes, disasters. locations. explorers. Adventure

Alien abductions, robots Other planets, alternate Mad scientists, monsters, Science vs humans, the future. dimensions, the moon, aliens. fiction outer space.

Relationships, break ups Familiar or historical Princesses, peasants, settings. knights or even just Romance and make ups, ending in death or marriage. ‘ordinary people’.

Play on audiences’ Cemeteries, haunted Zombies, monsters vs houses, creepy forest. ‘ordinary people’. Horror worst fears, for example spiders, darkness, ghosts.

Improbable quests, Fantasy worlds, fictional Elves, dwarves, wizards, Fantasy battle of good vs evil. locations. magicians.

Activity: Five shot genre challenge

FOR THIS GAME YOU WILL NEED:

• A camera/tablet/smart phone • Storyboard Template or a large sheet of • Genre choices sheet on page 4 or paper paper to create a storyboard and pens to make your own • Groups of 3-5 people. • Scissors

How to play the game

• Cut up the Genre choices sheet and fold • Set a time limit for planning and creating and place the genres, characters and the film using the Storyboard Template objects into three different containers. If and your filmmaking equipment. you do not have a printer, copy the lists • Groups should work together to film the onto pieces of paper or sticky notes. shots in order, so that no addidtional • Each group should now pick a genre, editing is needed. character and object, and keep it the • At the end of the time limit, swap devices themselves, and find a place away from or play the films on the screen or board. other groups to plan a five shot film that is Can you guess which genre each group an example of the genre and includes the was working with? character and object.

Activity: Mixing genres

FOR THIS GAME YOU WILL NEED:

• A camera/tablet/smartphone to create a storyboard • Genre conventions sheet on page 4 or • Camera shots sheet paper and pens to make your own • Editing software, eg iMovie, Windows • Scissors Movie Maker (optional) • Storyboard sheet or a large sheet of paper • Groups of 3-5 people.

How to play the game

• Cut out the pieces on the Genre conventions • Which camera angles and movements sheet. Fold and place the Genre, Scenario, should you use? Setting and Character cards into four • Use the Storyboard Template to sketch six separate containers. If you do not have a shots and movements based on the ideas printer, copy the lists on pieces of paper or developed from the brainstorm. sticky notes. • Once complete, use your camera, tablet Each group can now select one piece of • or smart phone to shoot the scenes from paper from each container, so that they have the storyboard, shooting no more than 10 a genre, scenario, setting and characters. seconds of film per shot. Each group should brainstorm ideas to create a • • When you have captured your six shots, short film based on the four choices: you are ready to share this with the other How will you communicate the scenario • groups. The challenge for them is to guess and setting of the film with your audience? the hybrid or cross- genre of your film. • What props and costumes could you use? • How can you use dialogue to help the audience identify the genre?

If you have access to iMovie, Windows Movie Maker or similar editing software, set a time limit for groups to edit their films, adding titles, music and effects, and editing the footage to make the genre even clearer.

Genre Genre Genre Genre Genre

Action and adventure Science fiction Romance Horror Fantasy

Scenarios Scenarios Scenarios Scenarios Scenarios

Battles, escapes or Alien abductions or Relationships, break ups and Play on audiences’ worst Improbable quests or make ups or end in death or fears, eg spiders, darkness natural disasters robots vs humans battle of good vs evil marriage or ghosts

Settings Settings Settings Settings Settings

Deserts, jungles or Planets, alternate dimensions, Familiar or Cemeteries, haunted Fantasy worlds or exotic locations the moon or outer space historical settings houses or creepy forest fictional locations

Characters Characters Characters Characters Characters

Spies, superheroes Mad scientists, Princesses, peasants, knights Zombies, monsters Elves, dwarves, or explorers monsters or aliens or just ‘ordinary people’ vs ‘ordinary people’ wizards or magicians

Activity: Five shot genre challenge choices

Doris, an elderly lady Horror A Balloon who loves travelling (Genre) (Object) (Character)

Jamie, a boy who loves Comedy A Guitar reading (Genre) (Object) (Character)

Kai, a boy who loves Western An iPad sport (Genre) (Object) (Character)

Nancy, a girl who loves Musical A Banana maths (Genre) (Object) (Character)

Pixie, a very clever cat Action A Paintbrush

(Character) (Genre) (Object)

Mrs Smith, everyone’s Adventure A Dice favourite teacher (Genre) (Object) (Character)

Ben, a boy who is very Horror A Coin shy (Genre) (Object) (Character)